NRC names 2012 special award recipients

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) released the list of winners of the 2012 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards.

These awards honor the industry's best and brightest and also highlight NRC member companies' commitment to hiring hardworking and dedicated people who work on the most innovative and efficient railroad projects around the country.

The NRC said the Field Employee of the Year Award recognizes and honors the rail contracting field employee who has demonstrated the most dedication and excellence in his or her job, going above and beyond what is required on a regular basis, demonstrating innovation and perseverance, is a team leader and a great asset to the company. Dave Friehl of Herzog Contracting Corp. was selected as the 2012 Field Employee of the Year. Friehl has 32 years of experience as a track superintendent supervising heavy rail, commuter rail and streetcar construction projects. He has demonstrated expertise as a general superintendent and construction manager by coordinating closely with agencies, owners, stakeholders and subcontractors on challenging, tightly scheduled projects while maintaining a good safety record.

The Rail Construction Project of the Year award honors innovation, expertise and quality project management applied towards the successful execution of a rail construction project by an NRC member company. This year's award winner is the Stacy and Witbeck/Herzog Contracting Corp.'s Joint Venture building the Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner South project. The safety record, scope of the project and the cost containment measures utilized in this multiyear project are what made the Stacy and Witbeck/Herzog Contracting Corp. project stand out.

"With more than two million man hours worked in challenging situations without a single lost time accident, the companies have demonstrated that safety was the absolute top priority. The coordination and interface with major project stakeholders, such as Union Pacific, the city of South Jordan and the Utah Department of Transportation was impressive and displayed a commitment to quality work in a partnership environment," the NRC said in a prepared statement.

The NRC will be honoring both outstanding winners at the 2013 NRC Conference in Miami, Fla., January 9-12, 2013.